The present exemplary embodiment relates generally to controlling color control in a multicolor marking platform. It finds particular application in conjunction with using a spectral sensor for closed-loop color control of a multicolor marking engine within a xerographic marking platform. However, it is to be appreciated that the present exemplary embodiment is also amenable to various marking engines and other types of marking systems.
Existing xerographic color control processes may send the spectral data to the digital front end (DFE) in order for a customer to perform a color calibration. The process may require the printer to make a set of specific prints containing various color patches. These prints may be taken to a separate offline device to make color measurements. Human error may be introduced while handling the prints in this manner. Customer productivity may be reduced since the print engine (PE) is idle while they are performing the offline calibration. Secondly; the PE operator can make many errors while performing the offline calibration. Another process may use an inline device that sends information back to the DFE to correct for printer color inaccuracies. Additionally, and possibly most significant, since the calibration data is sent to the DFE, this process is not a real-time closed loop feedback system with the PE xerographic controls (XC).